An underwater racket: Fish use grunts, chirps and pops to 'talk' to each other

Are you talking to me? Fish can communicate by making sounds with their swim bladder

The undersea world isn't as quiet as we thought, according to a New Zealand researcher who has found fish can 'talk' to each other.

They apparently communicate by emitting a series of grunts, chirps and pops.

Shahriman Ghazali, of the University of Auckland, said: 'All fish can hear, but not all can make sound - pops and other sounds made by vibrating their swim bladder, a muscle they can contract.'

Fish are believed to communicate with each other for different reasons, including attracting mates, scaring off predators or orienting themselves.

The gurnard species has a wide vocal repertoire and keeps up a constant chatter, Ghazali found after studying different species of fish placed into tanks.

On the other hand, cod usually kept silent, except when they were spawning.

He told the New Zealand Herald: 'The hyopothesis is that they are using sound as a synchronisation so that the male and female release their eggs at the same time for fertilization.’

Some reef fish, such as the damselfish, made sounds to attempt to scare off threatening fish and even divers, he said.

But anyone hoping to strike up a conversation with their pet goldfish is out of luck.

'Goldfish have excellent hearing, but excellent hearing doesn't associate with vocalisation - they don't make any sound whatsoever,' Ghazali said, as he prepared to present his findings to the New Zealand Marine Sciences Society conference today.

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An underwater racket: Fish use grunts, chirps and pops to 'talk' to each other